Combined feinting and vending machine



Jan. 27, 1931.

M. P. WETMORE.

COMBINED PRINTING AND VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1927 5 SheetsSheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 27, 1931. M. P. WETMORE COMBINED PRINTING AND VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed N v. 10, 1927 INVENTOR ATTORNEY M. P. WETMORE COMBINED PRINTING AND VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. '1o, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR gmfih mwa ATTORNEY Jan. 27, 1931. M. P. WETMORE COMBINED PRINTING AND VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 10, 1927 INVENTOR filmed? Wefimore,

ATTORNEY a .i27, 1931- I M. P. WETMORE 1,790,562

COMBINED PRINTING AND VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 1!! Wm NEY Patented Jan. 27, 1931 PATENT OFFICE MINER P. WETMORE', or voRwIcH, CONNECTICUT COMBINED PRINTING AND VENDING MACHINE Application filed November 10, 1927. Serial No. 232,251.

My invention is for a combined printing and vending machine of novel construction for printing suitable notations on such articles as tooth brushes, pencils, and the like, and delivering the printed article to the customer on the deposit of a proper coin.

The machine of my invention is of simple and rugged construction in which the parts are not liable to break or get out of order, and which is easy to operate. In a machine that I have built and successfully operated, a person first inserts a coin of the required value, whereupon a lever projecting out of the machine is released for downward movement. WVhen this lever is depressed, a rotary drum inside is turned to bring the next article into printing and delivery position. At the left of the machine is an index wheel bearing letters and connected with a correspondingly lettered type wheel in the casing. The person now turns the index wheel until the desired letter is opposite an indicating mark. This places the same letter on the type wheel in printing position. The next thing to do is to pull down a crank at the right of the machine, whereby the article is brought into printing contact with the adjusted type wheel. The crank is released after each letter is printed, and the index wheel is again adjusted for the next letter, whereupon the crank is again pulled down. These operations of index wheel and crank are repeated until the desired name or notation-is printed. It is now only necessary to pull up the hand lever referred to, whereupon the printed article is ejected into a delivery chute for removal by the purchaser. This final movement of the hand lever automatically locks the machine and puts it in condition for the next operation.

In order that thosewho are skilled in this particular art may fully understand my invention and practise the same, I shall describe the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with my'invention;

Fig. 2 shows a top View in cross-section on line 22 of Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away for clearness;

Fig. 3 is a vertlcal cross-section on line 33 of Fig. 2; V

Fig. a shows a vertical cross-section approximately on the broken line 4:4: of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 6 represents a plan view on the broken line 6-6 of Fig. 3, except that the'delivery drum and the associated connections have been omitted for clearness; i v

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 6, illustrating certain details of. the escapement mechanism that controls the type spacing;

Fig. 8 is an edge View. of Fig. 7, with certain parts omitted for lack of space;

Fig. 9 is a detailed view on line 9+9 of Fig. 5, showing a centering pawl associated with the rotary drum that supports the articles;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional detail'view on line 10-10 of Fig. 2, to showhow the articles are rigidly held on the drum by means of springs; and

Fig. 11 illustrates a toothbrush printed in the machine.

The carrier mechanism The mechanism of the machine is housed in a casing K of proper dimensions and suitable design. In the present instance this casing comprises a base 10,sides 11 and 12, a front and top cover 13, and a backplate 14:. Between the sides 11 and 12 is mounted a rotary shaft 15 having a drum or carrier 16 rigidly mounted thereon. This drum, which may be cast as a single member from'light strong metal, such as aluminum, is provided on its cylindrical periphery with a series of grooves or channels 17 adapted to receive the articles to be printed and vended. The particular machine shown in the drawings was designed for selling toothbrushes, and so the drum 16' has been constructed to support toothbrushes 18 in the grooves 17, which are arranged at equal distances around the drum. Spring clips 19 on the drum 16 hold the toothbrushes firmly in grooves 17 until released by e ecting mechanism. to be described later.

The retaining clips 19 are attached to the drum by screws 20, and there is a pair of pj lips 2for each toothbrush, as clearly shown in The ends of shaft are mounted in bearings 21, which are vertically slidable to permit bodily movement of the drum toward and from the. printing mechanism arranged over the drum. Of this mechanism I shall speak in due course. Each bearing 21 is provided with a plate 22 mounted to slide between a pair of guide pieces 23 secured to the sides 11 and 12 of the casing.

At each operation of the machine, the drum 16 is moved forwardly an amount equal to the distance between adjacent grooves 17 so that the next toothbrush to be sold is brought into printing and ejecting position. This step-by-step forward rotation of the drum is accomplished through the following connections: Ahand lever 24 is pivoted on shaft 15 by means of a sleeve or hub 25 (see Figs. 2 and 3). The peculiar shape of lever 24 is best seen in the plan view of Fig. 2, where it will be observed that the inner and outersections of the lever are relatively displaced and connected by a lateral bend 24*. A pawl 26 is pivoted on the inner section 24 of lever 24 by a pin or stud 27. A suitable spring 23 holds the point of pawl 26 against a ratchet wheel 29 fixed on shaft 15 and always movable with the drum 16. r

The normal position of lever 24 is shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 5. When the lever is pulled down (assuming it to be released),

the pawl 26 moves the ratchet wheel 29 forward, 7 thereby imparting a corresponding movement to the delivery drum 16. The dotted lines 24 in Figs. 3 and 5 indicate the downwardly actuated position of lever 24. Stops 30, which are fixed in relation to lever 24, limit the up and down movements of the lever. The parts are so designed that every time the lever 24 is pulled down, the drum 16 is moved forward to bring the next toothbrush into uppermost position on the drum. Referring to Fig. 3, whenthe lever 24 is moved down to position 24, the toothbrush 18 is carried to the position indicated at 13, which may be called the printing and ejecting position, as will more clearly appear later on. When the lever 24 is moved back to normal or upper position, the pawl 26 simply slides over the teeth of ratchet wheel 29 without actuating the same, A spring 31 secured to the side wall 11 engages the lever 24 and frictionally retains it in either position.

The coin-controlled mechanism 'upon the deposit of a required coin or other token.- On the base or bottom 10 of the casing is fixed a post 32 having a slotted or forked upper end 33 which carries a pin or stud 34. On this stud is pivoted a coin-controlled looking device 35 comprising an upper arm 36, a rear arm 37 and a counterbalancing arm 38.

The upper arm 36 has a recess or notch 36 at F The coins are deposited in the machine through a slot 43 on top of the casing at the left (see Fig. 1), andthe coins drop down the chute into receiver 39.

.The operation of the coin-controlled mechanism above described is this: Referring to Fig. 3, the normal position of the arms 36 and 37 is shown in full lines. When a coin of the required denomination drops into the receiver 39, the arm 37 is depressed until it rests on top of spring blade 44, as indicated by dotted lines 37. At the same time, the arm 36 moves slightly to the rear, as indicated by dotted lines 36*, thereby releasing the hand lever 24. The deposited coin 42 is still retained in receiver 39 by the depending wall or apron of the coin chute. As the lever 24 is pushed down, the cross-piece 24 engages arm 36 and cams it farther back from position 36 to 36 as will be understood from Fig. 3. The coin-receiving arm 37 is at the same time moved from position 37 to 37 whereupon the coin 42 rolls out of receiver 39 into a suitabl receptacle or cashb-oX 46. The spring 44 permits the downward movement of arm 37 to coin-releasing position. The front 13 of the casing is provided with a slot 47, through which the outer end of lever 24 extends for manual operation. 7

The ejecting mechanism When the hand lever 24 is pulled upfrom position 24, it automatically operates a pair of ejecting fingers 43 mounted on a rotary shaft 49, which is journalled in suitable bearings fixed to the sides 11 and 12 of the iii) casing. The fingers 48'are rigidly connected 1 3 to shaft 49 by screws 51, or in any. other practical way. An arm 52 is fixed on shaft 49 adjacent the left ejecting finger 48, and this arm is connectedto lever 24 by a link 53. When the lever 24 is in normal or upper position, the ejecting fingers 43 occupy the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that the free ends 48 of the ejecting fingers are at the entrance of a deliv ery chute 54. The ends 48 of the ejecting fingers are shaped to grip the handles of the toothbrushes on drum '16. When the lever 24 is pulled down to position 24, the link 53 pushes the arm 52 down, so that the shaft is rocked rearward to carry the ejecting fingers 48 to a position indicated by dotted lines 48 In travelling rearwardly to position 48 the ejecting fingers do not encounter any toothbrush on the drum 16, because at that time the top recess 16 is empty, and the next brush to be brought forward is in position 18 and is out of the way of the ejecting fingers.

As already explained, when the lever 24 is pulled down, the pawl 26 engages the ratchet wheel 29 to turn the drum 16 forward one space; However, this movement of the drum does not take place until after the lever 24 is rocked down through a certain angle. This will be clear from Fig. 5, where it is seen that the point of pawl 26 will not engage the tooth 29' until after the lever 24 has been depressed a certain amount. It is during-this preliminary movement of lever 24 that the ejecting fingers 48 are moved rearward a sufficient distance to be out of the way of the toothbrushes when the drum 16 is rocked forward during the continued downward move ment of lever 24. Consequently, the fingers 48 are free to move into position 48 when the lever 24 is pushed down to position 24. When the lever 24 is lifted to normal position, the ejecting fingers 48 are swung forward from position 48 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. During this forward movement, the fingers 48 grip the-toothbrush 18 (which has now been printed, as will later be explained) and carry the same to the entrance of delivery chute 54, through which the toothbrush falls to the discharge opening for removal by the purchaser. The fingers 48 force the toothbrushes out of engagement with the retaining springs 19, so that the ej ection of the articles is sudden and positive.

The printing mechanism So far I have described how the hand lever 24 is released for operation upon the deposit of a coin, how the downward movement of the lever rocks the delivery drum 16 forward to bring the next toothbrush in delivery position, and how the return movement of the lever automatically ejects a toothbrush, or whatever article is sold in the machine. I

shall now describe the mechanism which prints suitable notations on the article occupying position 18 on drum 16. This printing, I might here mention, is done while the lever 24 remains in actuated position 24.

In the upper part of casing K is mounted a rotary shaft 56 on which is slidably mounted a sleeve 57 having radial teeth 58. A. spline or key 59 on shaft 56 prevents rotation of the sleeve 57 relative to the shaft, and yet permits axial movement of the sleeve while the shaft remains stationary. To the left end of sleeve 57 is attached a disk 60 to whichis secured a type wheel 61 hearing letters or other suitable insignia over a section of its periphery. In Figs. 3 and 5 the type-bearing section of the wheel 61 is between the points 61 and 61 The remaining portion of the wheel is provided with small sharp teeth 62. The left end of shaft 56 extends through the easingand carries an index wheel 63 operated by a knob 64. The parts 63 and 64 may be castas a single piece of aluminum, or other suitable material. The index wheel 63 is provided with letters or other marks 65, which correspond to the type of printing wheel 61. A fixed'pointer or other mark 66 on the easing indicates to the operator the particular letter or mark in printing position on type wheel 61. In other words, whatever letter is opposite the index mark 66, the same letter is in printing position on the type wheel.

Between the sides 11 and 12 of the casing is mounted a rock shaft 67 operated by a crank arm 68 at the right of the machine. The shaft 67 carries a pair of eccentrics 69, on wnich are mounted rings or straps 70 having extensions 71. A lever 72 is pivoted on the left wall 11 by a bolt or stud 73, and on the right side 12 is pivoted a lever 74 on a stud 75. The lever '7 2 is connectedat its rear end by a pin 76 to the extension 71 of the left-hand eccentric strap 7 0, as shown in Fig. 5. In like manner the lever 74 is connected near its rear end by a pin 77 to the right-hand eccentric strap 70, as shown in Fig. 4. It is clear from what has been said that, when the crank arm 68 is pulled down, the eccentrics move up into the position indicated by the dotted circle .70 in Fig. 4, and the connected levers 72 and 73 are pulled up into the dotted line positions 7 2 and 74, respectively.

Let us now see what happens when the levers 72 and 74 are rocked upward on the downward pull of crank arm 68. The lever 72 carries a pivot bolt 78, to which the upper end of a link 79 is connected. The lower end of this link is connected by a bolt or pin 80 to the slidable plate 22 of the adjacent hub 21. The link 79 carries a pair of lateral arms 81 and 82, which may conveniently be cast or punched integral with the link. The arm 81 extends downward and carries the spaced stops 30 previously referred to. It will be recalled that the steps 30 limit the movements of hand lever 24. The rearwardly extending arm 82 has a projection 83 provided with a pin 85 on which a dog 84 is pivoted, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 9. A spring 86 mounted on extension 83 forces the pivoted dog 84 against the radial grooves 87 in the left edge of the drum 16. These radial grooves are in alignment with the axial grooves 17, as will be clear from Fig. 3. The spring-actuated dogv 84 insures the correct position of the drum at the end of each forward movement, so that a toothbrush in position 18 (seeFig.

3) is exactly in line to receive the printing.

The'radial grooves 17 and the engaging end of dog 84 are rounded, so that the dog is forced out of the groove when the lever 24 is pulled down to rotate the drum 16.

The pivoted lever 74 (see Fig. 4) carries a pin or bolt 88, which is connected to one end of a link 89. The other end of this link is connected to a bolt 90 carried by the slidable plate 22 of the right-hand bearing 21. As explained in a preceding portion of the specification, thevertically slidable bearings 21 support the shaft 15 of the delivery drum 16. Consequently, whenever the levers 72 and 74 are rocked upward by thedownward movement of crank arm 68, thelinks 79 and 89 pull the drum 16 upward to carry the article 18 into printing contact with type wheel 61. The raised or printing position of drum 16 is diagrammatically indicated by the dotted lines 16 in Figs. 3 and 5. WVhen the crank arm 68 returns to its normal upper position, the drum 16 drops away from the type wheel 7 61, so that the latter is now free to be adjusted radially by the knob 64 to bring the next letterv or mark into printing line. The crank arm 68 is then again pulled down and the printing operation above described is repeated. The movements of the crank arm 68 are limited by fixed stops 91 and 92 secured to the side wall 12 of the casing.

The escapement mechanism The axial or spacing movements of type wheel 61 are controlled by an escapement mechanism operated by the movements of lever 74, as best shown in Fig. 7. There is an escapement wheel 93 mounted loosely on a rotary shaft 94 arranged transversely of the casing. The rear end of shaft 94 is supported in the lower end of the depending arm or bracket 95 secured. to the top plate 96 of the casing. The forward end of shaft 94 is mounted in a bracket 97 (see Fig. 6) secured to the side wall 12. The escapement wheel 93 carries one or more pawls 98 pivoted on pins or screws 99. These pawls are normally held by springs 100 in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 101 fixed on the transverse, shaft 94.- Consequently, the escape. lent wheel 93 moves with the shaft 94, when the latter is turned clockwise, as indicated by the arrow a in F ig; 7. When the shaft 94 is rotated the other way, the wheel 93 is disconnected from the shaft.

The depending bracket arm 95 carries a pin or screw 102 on which is pivoted a lever 103 adapted to control the movements of escapement wheel 93. For this purpose the lever 103 is provided at its ends with anchors 104 and 105 for engaging the teeth of wheel 93. The escapement lever 103 is connected by a pin 106 to one end of a link 107. The lower end of this link is provided with a slot 107 through which passes a bolt or pin 108 carried by the rear end of lever 74, as will beclear by lookingat Figs. 4and 7. A contracting coil spring 107 is connected at its upper end to the top plate-96 and at its lower end to the link 107. The tension of spring 107 is such that it tends to pull the link 107 up. Referring to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the upward movement of link 107 by the spring107 is prevented by the pin 108 engaging the 'bottom of slot 107. When the rear end oflever 74 moves up, the spring 107 lifts the link 107 and thereby rocks the lever 103 in a counterclockwise direction until the anchor 104 engages the adjacent tooth of the escapement wheel 93. This stops the further upward movement of link 107, but the rear end of lever 74 is free to continue its upward movementuntil the pin'108 reaches the top of slot 107'. p The adjustable pin-and-slot connection 108-107 allows the levers 72 and 74 sufficient upward movement to carry the drum 16 into printing position. Any other practical connections may be used for controlling the escapement wheel 93 in accordance with the movements of lever 74.

The escapement shaft 94 has a pinion 109 fixed thereon. This pinion is always in mesh with the annular teeth 58 of the slidable sleeve 57, which is mounted on shaft 56. A coil spring 110 surrounds shaft 56between a fixed collar 111 and the type wheel 61. The tendency of spring 110 is to push the type wheel 61 and sleeve 57 toward the right.

The operation of the escapement mechanism is this: When the lever 7 4 is in normal lower position, the anchor 105 of lever 103. is in locking engagement with escapement wheel 93, as shown in Fig. 7. When the crank arm 68 is pulled down to raise the drum 16 into printing position, as previously er;- plained, the right end of lever 103 isrocked upward and the escapement wheel, 93 is released for clockwise movement until the anchor 104 of lever 103 engages the adjacent tooth of the wheel and stops it. During this slight movement of the escapement wheel, the type wheel 61 is moved axially into correct position for the next printing operation. When the crank arm 58 is released to normal position, 'the'lever 103is rocked clockwise and the escapement wheel 93 is given another kick by the spring 110. This moves the type wheel 61 half a space toward the right. The next half space of the type wheel is completed during the next downward movement of Restoring of type wheel 6] to normal position After the type wheel 61 reached theend of its travel to the right, it is restored to normal position by a finger 112 slidably mounted on a rod 113 supported between the sides of the casing. The finger 112 is operated from the outside of the casing by an arm 114, which projects through a horizontal slot 115 in the front wall 13. The members 112 and 114 are conveniently made integral with a sleeve 116, by means of which they are mounted on shaft 113. A collar 117 fixed on shaft 113 limits the restoring movement of finger 112, so that the type wheel 61 is always in the same normal position. When the sleeve 57 is slid toward the left by the finger 112 pushing against disk 60, the escapement shaft 94 is turned counterclockwise (as viewed in Fig. 7) by the pinion 109. During this movement of shaft 94, the pawls 98 of escapement wheel 93 ride over the teeth of ratchet wheel 101 and the wheel remains stationary, except for a slight movement until the tooth 93 strikes the anchor 105 of lever 108. That movement, however, is of no consequence, since the spring 110 gives the escapement wheel a clockwise kick back to its previous position as soon as the handle 114 is released. When the finger 112 forces the type wheel 61 back to normal position, the coil spring 110 is compressed and pushes against the type wheel, giving it a sudden kick to the right whenever the escapement mechanism permits.

' Locking of type wheel 61 in printing position of sleeve 120, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. A

coil spring 123 mounted on shaft 67 is connected at one end to a collar 124 fixed on the shaft, and the other end of the spring is connected to sleeve 120. The spring 123 is so tensioned that it holds the sleeve 120 against the set-screw 121. When the crank arm 68 is in normal position, the plate 118 is out of contact with type wheel 61, as shown in Fig. 5, but when the crank arm is pulled down to rock the shaft 67, the plate 118 moves with the shaft until the bevelled locking edge 119 engages the teeth 62 of the type wheel 61. This locking action occurs after the crank arm 68 has moved through a'slight angle and before the type wheel 61 has been shifted laterally into final printing position by the spring 110. After the plate 118 has reached its locking position, as diagrammatically in dicated by the dotted lines 118 in Fig. 5, the

' continued forward movement of shaft 67 is in all positions along the shaft 56, as may be seen from Fig. 6.

Coin-controlled release for printing mechanism The crank shaft 67 is normally locked against operation by means of a sector 125 and an arm 126. The sector 125 is fixed on shaft 67 near the left end of the machine, and the arm 126 is pivoted on shaft 15 (see Fig. 3). For convenience of manufacture, the arm 126 may be an integral extension of hand lever 24, so that the sleeve or hub 25 carries both parts. As shown in Fig. 2, the arm 126 projects from the inner portion of hand lever 24 through a lateral bend 126'. When the mechanism of the machine is in normal position, the upper end of arm 126 engages the lower edge 125 of the locking sector 125, so

that the shaft 67 is positively locked against movement. When the hand lever 24 is pushed down, the arm 126 is rocked forward, as diagrammatically indicated by the dotted line positions 126 and 126 in Fig.3. The shaft 67 is now unlocked and the crank arm 68 may be pulled down to operate the printmg mechanism, as already described, The arc-shaped edge 125 of sector 125' prevents upward. movement of the lever 24 until the crank arm 68 has moved back to normal position and raised the sector out of the path of arm. 1%. This arrangement prevents operation of the ejecting fingers 48 until after the drum 16 has dropped to normal position.

General operation of the machine The operation of the machine, from the time a coin is deposited until the printed article is ejected, will be clearly understood from the detailed description that I have given, but it may be well to restatein a brief way the main points in the operation. Non mally, the hand lever 24 and crank arm 68 are locked. When a proper coin is deposited, the arm 36 releases the lever 24, and the latter is now pushed down as far as it wiil go. The downward movement of lever 24 does two things: It rotates the drum 16 forward to bring the next article into printing and delivery position, and it also unlocks the crank-shaft 67 by moving the arm 126 away from the locking sector 125. The lever 24 remains in its down position.

The operator now turns the index wheel 63 to bring the required letter on type wheel 61 into printing line. After each adjustment of the index; wheel, the crank arm 68 is pulled down, whereby the topmost article on drum 16 is carried into printing contact with the type wheel. After the desired letters or characters have been printed on the article, the operator raises the lever 24, whereupon the ejecting fingers 48 rock forward to eject the printed article, which falls down the delivery chute 54: for removal.

The return movement of lever 24 automatically locks the machine against further operation until the deposit of another coin.

Each user of the machine will have to see that the arm 114 is at the left of slot 115 before he pulls down the crank arm 68. The machine as put out for actual use will carry instructions on the outside to that effect. Of course, it is possible to incorporate automatic mechanism whereby the type wheel is restored to normal position when the lever 24 is raised to eject the printed article. However, at the present time I think that such automatic restoring connections would unnecessarily complicate the machine. In the broad aspect of my invention, any practical restoring meansfor the printing mechanism may be employed.

It will be seen from the preceding description that Ihave invented a combined printing and vendingvmachine of comparatively simple construction, in which the parts are easily assembled. and so rugged as to remove practically all danger of breaking. though I have shown and described a specific construction, I want it understood that my invention is not limited to the details set forth. It is evident that changes and modifications will occur toothers skilled'inthis art without departing from the scope of the inventionas defined in the following claims. In the broader aspect of my invention, any other practical form of printing mechanism may beused in combination with the delivery drum. When I speak of printing mechanism, I use the term in its broadest possible sense'to designate a device capable of im-;

pressing readable notations on the articles sold in the machine. I need hardly say that .some features of my invention may be used Without other features.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a combined printing and vending machine, a rotary drum for supporting a plurality of articles in spaced relation, means for rotating said drum to bring an article into printing line, mechanism for imprinting said article, said mechanism including a rotary printing member normally spaced from the articles on said drum, means for producing relative radial movement between said drum and member to efiect the printing operation,

, article,

drum and member to effect the printing oper ation, and means for dehvermg each printed art1cle.

3. A combined printing and vendingma chine having a rotary carrier for support machine, a rotary carrier having means to support a plurality of articles, mechanism for making an imprint on said articles one at a time, means for delivering each printed hand-operable means projecting from the machine to effect operation of said printing mechanism, and other means projecting from said machine for operating said delivery means.

5. In a combined printing and vending machine,a rotary drum for supporting a plurality of articles in spaced relation, means for rotating'said drum to bring an article into printing line, mechanism for making an imprint on saidarticle, means for ejecting the printed article from said drum, a

manually operable handle projecting from A the machine for actuating said drum into printing position, and a separate handle for operating said ejecting means.

6. In a combined printing and vending machine, a rotary drum havingmeans to support a plurality of elongated rigid'articles in spaced parallel relation, hand-operable connections for rotating said drum step by step to bring an article into printing line, manually adjustable printing mechanism including a type member movable axially along the drum, and means whereby said drum is bodily movable in a radial direction toward said type member to establish printing contact between the article and said member. i

7 Ina combined printing and vending machine, a rotary drum having means to support a plurality of rigid articles in spaced relation, hand-operable connections for rotating said drum step by step to bring an article into printing line, manually adjustable printing mechanism, and means for moving said drum bodily to carry the article into printing contact with said mechanism, said means including a handle on the outside of the machine.

8. In a combined printing and vending machine, a rotary drum having means to support a plurality of articles in spaced re lation, hand-operable connections for rotating said drum step by step to bring an article into printing line, manually adjustable printing mechanism, means for moving said drum bodily to carry the article into printing contact with said mechanism, and means controlled by said connections for locking said drun against bodily movement into printing position until the drum has been rotated to bring an article into printing line.

9. In a combined printing and vending machine, a rotary drum having means to support a plurality of articles in spaced relation, hand-operable connections for rotating said drum step by step to bring an article into printing line, manually adjustable printing mechanism, means whereby said drum and said mechanism are relatively adjustable to establish printing contact between the article and said mechanism, and an ejecting device automatically operated when said lever is returned to normal position to remove the printed article from the drum.

10. In a combined printing and vending machine, a rotary carrier adapted to support aplurality of articles, a hand-operable lever for rotating said drum step by step to bring an article into printing line, manually adjustable printing mechanism, means whereby said carrier and said mechanism are relatively adjustable to establish printing contact between the article and said mechanism, and a pair of ejecting controlled by said lever to remove the printed article from said carrier.

11. In a combined printing and vending machine, ypewheel adjustable rotatably for character selection and also adjustable axially on a shaft so to move a printing line, a rotary drum adapted to support a plurality of articles, means for moving said drum toward said typewheel to carry an article int-o printing contact therewith, and means for ejecting the printed articles from said drum.

12. In a combined printing and vending machine, a rotatably and axially adjustable typewheel, a rotary shaft having a pair of eccentrics, a rotary drum adapted to support a plurality of articles, connections for rotating said drum to bring an article into printing line, means for connecting said drum, to said eccentrics so to more the drum bodily toward said typewheel for imprinting the article, and means controlled by said connections for ejecting the printed articles.

13. In a combined printing and vending machine, a rotary drum adapted to support a plurality of articles, connections for rotating said drum to bring an ar icle into printing line, a typewheel rotatably and axially adjustable to bring the desired type into printing position, a hand-operated shaft connected with said drum for moving the latter bodily toward and from said rypewheel, escapement mechanism controlled by said shaft for moving said typewheel axially to space the impressed characters, and means for ejecting the printed articles from said drum.

14. In a combined printing and vending machine, a typewheel adjustable rotatably for character selection and also adjustable axially on a shaft so as to move along a printing line, a rotary drum adapted to support a plurality of articles, hand-operable connections for causing said typewheel to. imprint an article, means controlled by said connections for moving said typewheel axially to space the impressed characters, fingers adapted to engage the printed articles to eject the same from the drum, a hand-operable lever projecting from the machine, and means controlled by said lever for operating said fingers.

15. In a combined printing and vending machine, a pair of slidable bearings, a rotary shaft mounted in said bearings, a drum fixed on said shaft and adapted to support a plurality of articles, means for rotating said drum step-by-step to bring an article into printing line, said means'includinga hand lever rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to be connected thereto for imparting forward rotation to the drum, manually adjustable printing mechanism, and connections for moving said slidable bearings to carry the drum toward said mechanism and thereby bring an article into printing contact therewith. I i

16. In a combined printing and vending machine, a pair of slidable bearings, a rotary shaft mounted in said bearings, a drum fixed on said shaft and adapted to support a plurality of articles, means for rotating said drum step-by-step to bring an article into printing line, said means including a hand lever rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to be connectedthereto for imparting forward rotation to the drum, manually adjustable printing mechanism, a handoperated rotary shaft, connections between said last mentioned shaft and said slidable bearing-s to carry the drum toward said mechanism and thereby bring an article into printing contact therewith, and a pair of ejecting fingers controlled by said lever to remove the printed article from the drum.

17. In a combined printing and vending machine, a pair of slidable bearings, a rotary shaft mounted in said bearings,a drum fixed on said shaft and adapted to support a plurality of articles, means for rotating said drum step by step to bring an article into printing line, said means including a hand lever rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to be connected thereto for imparting forward rotation to the drum, manually adjustable printing mechanism, a hand-operated rotary shaft, connections between said last mentioned shaft and said slidable bearings to carry the drum toward said mecha nism and thereby bring the article into printingcontact therewith, and means for delivering the printed articles.

18. In a combined printing and vending machine, a pair of slidablo bearings, a rotary shaft mounted in said bearings, a drum fixed on said shaft and adapted to support a pluralit-y of articles, means for rotating said drum step by step to bring an article into printing line, said means including a hand in lever rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to be connected thereto for impart ing forward rotation to the drum, manually adjustable printing mechanism, a ha nd-op erated rotary shaft, connections between said last mentioned shaft and said slidable bearings to move the drum toward said mechanism and thereby carry an article into printing contact therewith, means for ejecting the printed articles from the drum, and means operated by said hand lever forlocking said last mentioned shaft against movement until i the drum has been rotated to bring an article into printing line. i

19. In a combined printing and vending machine, an outer casing, a lever projecting from said casing and normally held in upper position for'downward movement, a rotary carrier supporting a plurality of articles in spaced relation, means whereby the down- ;a ward movement of said lever rotates said carrier to bring an article into printing line, a rotary index wheel on the outside of said casing, atype wheel mounted in the casing and rotated by said index wheel to bring the required letter or mark into printing position, a rotary shaft within the casing, a crank arm connected to said shaft outside the casing, connections operated by said shaft for moving said carrier bodily toward said type wheel when the crank arm is pulled down, whereby the article is brought into printing contact with said type wheel, means whereby the movements of said crank arm cause axial movement of said type wheel along the printing line to space the successive impressions, ejecting fingers operated by the upward movement of said lever to remove the printed article for delivery, and means controlled by said lever for locking said crank shaft when the lever is in normal upper position.

MINER P. VETMORE. 

